Cutaway vs Non Cutaway

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kneeshezoo

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Howzit guys,

I am going to buy a Pono Tenor and I wondering if there is a difference whether the ukulele has a cutaway vs a non cutaway?

-Shaka
 
Hey Mate

The reason why the Makers build ukuleles with cutaway is because it allows the player to have easier access to the higher frets such as 14th, 15th 16th etc..
Besides that, nothing else according to sound.

Good luck with your decision
 
well, it reduces the body size a little bit... some claim that they can hear a difference. I can't.

I just like the looks of a non cutaway better, to bad i got one with a cutaway. But it is pretty smart having easier access.

So ask yourself if your ever gonna use that easier access to 16,17,18 and 19.
 
IMO, it's more aesthetics than anything else.
 
Ok, I'll bite. What's a cut away?
 
It's my birthday and I'm even older than old now I guess. Total brain freeze. I have now put 2 and 2 together. I won't ask about this again -- sorry. I didn't know that's what they were called.
 
sukie said:
It's my birthday and I'm even older than old now I guess. Total brain freeze. I have now put 2 and 2 together. I won't ask about this again -- sorry. I didn't know that's what they were called.
Click to expand...

what did you think they were called......?
 
Sukie, don't lose sleep over it. We're all learning, that's what this forum is for.

kneeshezoo (nishizu?),
Seems you can't decide whether to put form over function, or aesthetics over playability (or whatever). Cutaways are formed to do a certain function, at some cost, usually. The resultant smaller soundbox may impact sound (positively, negatively, or neutrally depends on the builder). If you think about this, logic will tell you its true. If you question the Pono, get it with a pickup and use a Baggs Para DI.

While playability is dependant upon the neck and setup, ease of reaching higher frets is without question on a cutaway.

Personally, the best way to get an instrument (besides ordering it for YOU), is to close your eyes and play. Buying with your eyes open can only raise the price on things you may or may not hold important. Not that this is a bad thing, considering what I do.

-Aaron
 
sukie said:
I had no idea. I personally don't like the looks so I was ignoring them. But see, I learned something yesterday.
Click to expand...

Rock on, Sukie. \m/^^\m/ I didn't know they even existed until last week haha. I've never seen one before in a music store.
 
I know this belongs in the video section, but if you watch Led during the verses (and, unusually, not the pa`ani), you'll see where the cutaway comes into play.

I've seen him go up to the 22nd fret on that instrument (because that's how many he wanted).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBp2HWCNb8Y
 
grappler said:
Hey Mate

The reason why the Makers build ukuleles with cutaway is because it allows the player to have easier access to the higher frets such as 14th, 15th 16th etc..
Besides that, nothing else according to sound.

Good luck with your decision
Click to expand...

Thats right,,, nothing to do with sound,, just makes the high end of your neck more accessable,, my next uke will be a cuttaway,, as for the make,, undecided,,,,,
 
I think the main reason for a cut away, is just the looks... I personaly like the look of a cut away, and my next uke will be sure to have one;

By the way, do any of you know of a uke company that makes a uke with a slotted headstock with a cut away? I cant find one with both
 
Last edited:
When I got my "main" ukulele, I called the company and asked the owner to pick me out a really sweet-sounding spruce top concert. It happened to be a cutaway.

Rich's tenor got chosen for it's sound also. It also happens to be a cutaway.

So we both play cutaways, but our ukuleles were chosen for their sound rather than looks. But they do look pretty cool. :cool:
 
Having both styles of uke in my small collection, I prefer the cutaway but frankly it really is more aesthetic. The frets that are more easily accessible with a cutaway are way up the neck, in the area where they're about 1/4" apart. I'll bet few if any of this group ever play much above the 12th fret, let alone in the 15th and higher zone.

I find my fingertips are larger than the spacing between frets up in that stratospheric section of the neck, so I often hit the wrong note if I go too high.
 
I tend to play high up on the neck from time to time when playing around on improv solos, so I opted for a cutaway.
 
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